Twelve Things You Didn't Know About Coluna

1. While most of the four main characters were quick to find names, I tried three or four before I finally settled on Alistaar. I also tried Kwinten, but it just didn't fit his character.

2. Even though I haven't described them in the book, I do have pinterest pictures for the four necklaces that the foursome wear.

Via Pinterest
The Nila - Alistaar's

Via Pinterest 
The Diza - Melisza's

Via Pinterest
The Tak - Tabetha's

Via Pinterest
The Koy - Jaqob's

3. Arden Orphanage will also be the opening setting for book two of Rizkaland - though in present day, and it will no longer be an orphanage. 

4. My concept cover is a division symbol turned on its side, with the title and my name as the bar, and the two moons of Coluna - Lilnai and Harshai - as the dots.

5. There aren't many other fantasy books that I find myself comparing The New Division to. Mostly I pick on historical fictions about the early Christian era, the most notable being The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas, and The Shadow Things by Jennifer Freitag.

6. Besides the travel between worlds, there is no magic in Coluna. Superstition, yes, technology, yes miracles, yes, but outright magic, no. 

7. In the original version, it began in present day, and their parents were with them in the real world as well. However, the girls were separated from the boys. Melisza and Tabetha were raised by their moms, Jaqob and then-Kwentin were raised by their dads. They didn't know about each other until they ran into each other in Coluna.

8. I collect strangely spelled names to use for this book.

9. The main characters of Rizkaland book 2 will show up briefly at the end of the book - though I can't tell you how.

10. Like in Nine Gems of Virtue, in the original version, Melisza and Tabetha were going to get into Coluna while doing a writing assignment from school. They were writing a story about two boys named Jaqob and Kwentin.

11. To make Kiri smile: I see the four main characters as color more than their actual appearances. Jaqob is dark green and black, Tabitha is red, Alistaar is a royal blue, while Melisza is a very pale pink. Melisza shows up very brightly against the dark background of the book. Such a sweet character to write with, and I hate doing what I must do to her.

12: The Harshia train and ride dragons. Not intelligent dragons like in Half-Hidden, but still. Dragons. They also worship them, which isn't so great.